Devil’s Arrows stones traveled further than expected

Archaeologists in North Yorkshire, England, determined that the builders of the Devil’s Arrows, three large stones, hauled their materials from Brimham Rocks, 18 kilometers away.

Legend attributes the stones to a failed attempt by the Devil to destroy the town of Aldborough around 5,000 to 3,500 years ago. For decades, researchers believed the stones came from closer sources, but new geochemical analysis of mineral grains proves the stones originated at Brimham Rocks.

The research team collected samples by pressing adhesive tape onto the stones to gather microscopic mineral pieces. They then examined zircon and apatite within the samples, finding that the mineral “fingerprints” matched those from Brimham Rocks and differed from other nearby stone sources. This discovery indicates the Neolithic people who erected the Devil’s Arrows intentionally selected stones from a more distant location, requiring considerable effort to transport blocks weighing around 25 tonnes.

The study also suggests one of the missing Devil’s Arrows may have been repurposed. Researchers found matching mineral signatures in the Battle Cross at Aldborough, a medieval monument, and in the masonry of Peg Bridge, supporting historical accounts that those structures were built using stone from a fallen monolith.

This research builds on previous work tracing the origins of stones at Stonehenge to distant quarries in Wales and Scotland, demonstrating a pattern of ancient peoples transporting materials over significant distances for ceremonial structures.